Birding at The Point

May 9, 2010
First of all, let me wish all the moms a Happy Mother’s Day! None of us would be here without you!
Now as I promised, the events of my birding at Prince Edward Point this morning. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the weather this morning was again terrible. But just like last time, I am still just crazy enough to get up at 6:30 and go looking for warblers anyway. I must say I really felt a little silly putting on layers of warm clothing and heading out in zero degree temperatures with a very strong wind and a thick layer of clouds. What was I thinking? I can tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that if I don’t go this morning I’ll have to wait a whole week for my next opportunity. So off I went. I drove down highway 62, keeping an eye on the southern sky hoping for a break, but it never happened. Oh well. Even with all the clouds, I knew I’d still get some photos. When I reached The Point, I headed for the parking lot next to the Banding Station. I figured to walk along the road for a stretch to see if I could find some woods that were more sheltered from the wind. I looked out over the water and was impressed by the dozens, maybe hundreds of swallows swarming around just above the waves – obviously feeding on what must have been an awful lot of insects. I shot some video and then headed off to the woods. Almost immediately I saw a medium-sized bird land in a tree up ahead. There was a flash of black and white and red, and I expected to see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, but instead I was very happy to see a Red-headed Woodpecker!
What a great start to the day! I quickly took a flurry of shots as the woodpecker hopped around from branch to branch, and from tree to tree. I also grabbed a short video to show Elaine later. After a minute or two the woodpecker flew off and I decided to see what was happening at the shore line. There were a few Common Mergansers, and some Kingbirds, and even a Killdeer. I also saw a Solitary Sandpiper. My spirits were buoyed by all these great sightings, and so I was not surprised when I reached the woods that I also got a good look at a number of warblers. I saw a Black-and-White Warbler, Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped, and more. Of course as usual, the Yellow Warbler was the most cooperative.
Other highlights included my first Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, plus a Baltimore Oriole, a Spotted Sandpiper, and several kinds of sparrows. It turned out to be a great morning! By 11:00 I was chilled to the bone and ready for a hot cup of coffee, so I called Elaine and told her I was heading home. As usual she was very enthusiastic to see all of the photos and videos that I’d taken. This is a great time of year to visit Prince Edward Point – no matter what the weather. But if you find a sunny warm day – all the better! Talk again soon, Garry – www.birdingandmore.com